Connection Issues with some apps and features of the computer while I'm connected to WiFi

Question

Hello everyone,

For several months now, I’ve been experiencing an internet connectivity issue. Some applications like Steam, Spotify, and Discord load their interface endlessly, or I simply can’t log in. What’s strange is that after uninstalling and reinstalling Spotify, the app worked again — but only until I restarted my computer. The applications return error codes mentioning connection/DNS/Firewall/Antivirus issues.

Other features, like the News & Interests feed in the taskbar, show the message “We’re having trouble loading your feed”, even though I still receive weather updates on the taskbar. I also can’t reconnect a Gmail address to Outlook (→ Network problem), along with other Microsoft features that require internet access.

And yet, I am definitely connected to the internet — I’m sending this message from this very computer, and I can play online games (e.g. REPO) without any network problems.

Does anyone have a solution to this issue, please?

I've already done some tests. There is no corrupted system files, no third party services interferring. I've already tried to reset network settings, closed my antivirus, reset my Firewall.

Answer 1

Hi, good day!

• When was the last time it worked properly?
• Have you made any changes to your computer recently?
• Have you tried connecting to another network such as your phone's mobile hotspot?

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Answer 2

It sounds like you're experiencing a frustrating connectivity issue where certain applications are unable to connect to the internet despite your overall connection being active. Here are some potential troubleshooting steps you can consider:

1. Check Firewall and Antivirus Settings: Since you mentioned you've already closed your antivirus, ensure that your firewall settings are not blocking these specific applications. You can temporarily disable the firewall to see if that resolves the issue.
2. Reset Network Settings: You mentioned you've reset network settings, but ensure you also try the following:
   • Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:

          netsh int ip reset
          netsh winsock reset
          ipconfig /release
          ipconfig /renew
          ipconfig /flushdns
     

   • Restart your computer after running these commands.
3. Check DNS Settings: Sometimes, DNS issues can cause connectivity problems. You can try changing your DNS settings to use Google's DNS:
   • Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
   • Right-click on your Wi-Fi connection, select Properties, then click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and choose Properties.
   • Select "Use the following DNS server addresses" and enter:
     • Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
     • Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4
   • Click OK and restart your computer.
4. Re-register Settings App: If you're having issues with the Settings app, you can try re-registering it using PowerShell:
   • Open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following commands:

          Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
          Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
     

   • Restart your computer after this.
5. Check for Windows Updates: Ensure that your Windows is fully updated, as updates can often resolve connectivity issues.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consider checking for any specific error codes that the applications are providing, as they can give more insight into the underlying problem.

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References:

• Connection issues when signing in after updating to Office 2016 build 16.0.7967 on Windows 10
• Troubleshoot network problems